AFTER one of their members was arrested for an anti-monarchy protest in Edinburgh, the international media has been queuing up to speak to the Scottish campaign group Our Republic.
Among the UK media however, there has been “almost complete radio silence”.
That silence comes despite voices from across the political spectrum condemning the arrest of the anti-monarchy protester outside Edinburgh’s St Giles’ Cathedral on Sunday.
Broadcaster Andrew Marr said the police action was “outrageous”, Labour MP Zarah Sultana said it was “extraordinary – and shocking”, while Tory peer and avowed Brexiteer Dan Hannan said officers shutting down republican protest was “utterly un-British”.
Tristan Gray, the convener of the anti-monarchy campaign group Our Republic, told The National that he had been answering requests from outlets such as NBC in the US and Der Spiegel in Germany in the wake of the arrest.
However, other than The National, no domestic media had gotten in touch.
Asked why he thought this was the case, Gray said: “To [the international media] it’s just a normal story. They’re treating it like a normal story, they’re behaving like journalists.
“Our media, for some reason, have lost that journalistic integrity when it comes to the monarchy – and I think that should shock people.”
Gray suggested that the monarchy was exerting a “controlling” influence on media in the UK – including on outlets which would normally look for an “anti-establishment angle”.
He told The National: “Outlets you would expect to really swing for the anti-establishment angle, at least to some degree, the kind of outlets who you would expect to be clamouring for that kind of thing – they did for Kenmure Street for example [where a spontaneous protest in 2021 forced the Home Office to end the detention of two Sikh men] – there’s been an almost complete radio silence from them.
“They’re reporting so-and-so got arrested, and then afterwards it’s just five quotes from people expressing their disgust at the protester, but nothing from anyone saying ‘this is an attack on freedom of speech’, ‘this is an attack on freedom of protest’, the kind of things that these exact papers were shouting about last year [when the Police and Crime Bill was advancing at Westminster].
“For some reason, the moment the monarchy’s involved, they’re only promoting the voices which are calling for that freedom of speech to be shut down.
“I think that is quite shocking and it shows the influence of the monarchy as a controlling force, as a force of the establishment to keep people’s opinions in line and reduce the legitimacy of movements that are lobbying for change.”
Police Scotland said they had arrested a 22-year-old woman who had been protesting the monarchy “in connection with a breach of the peace” on Sunday, September 11.
On Monday, a spokesperson added: “She was charged and was released on an undertaking to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.”
